Fast and Furious

(June 2000) 13 tracks:

1. Finlay MacDonald - The Plagiarist / The Day We Had the Goat - Finlay is one of the new generation of totally brilliant young pipers. This track is from his debut CD 'Finlay MacDonald'. Finlay MacDonald (Highland pipes) with Iain MacFarlane (fiddle), Fraser Fifield (saxophone), John Rae (drums), Kevin MacKenzie (guitar).

2. Liz Doherty and Fiddlesticks - Krapulakatrilli - Fiddlesticks is a novel and exciting group of young traditional fiddlers, all students at the Music Department, University College, Cork and led by well-known fiddler Liz Doherty. This tune from their album Racket in the Rectory was written and recorded by an accordion player and student at the Sibelius Academy in Helsinki, Finland and described as "straight ahead dance music".

3. Simon Thoumire Orchestra - The Future is Bright - This 'occasional' orchestra features an elite ensemble of the top fusion musicians in Scotland today. Simon Thoumire (concertina), Eilidh Shaw (fiddle), Aidan O'Rourke (fiddle), Anna Wendy Stevenson (fiddle), Mike Katz (Highland pipes and whistles), David Milligan (piano), Colin Steel (trumpet), Tom MacNiven (trumpet), Phil Bancroft (saxophone), Elspeth Cowie (vocals), Alyth McCormack (vocals), Kevin Mackenzie (guitar), Neil Harland (double bass), Tom Bancroft (drums and bodhran).

4. Liz Doherty - Mince in a Basket / The Third Flight Home / Andy Broon's Reel - Liz Doherty is a brilliant fiddler from Buncrana, Co Donegal, where she was introduced to the fiddle by her mother's uncle Joe Grant and later taught by local maestro Dinny McLaughlin. Liz later studied music at University College, Cork and spent a number of years in Cape Breton Island researching her PhD on the fiddle music tradition there. This great set of reels collectively known as Muck Vibe features Liz (fiddle) with Clare McLaughlin (fiddle), Ryan MacNeil (piano), Ian Carr (guitar) and Gino Lupari (bodhran).

5. Simon Thoumire - Fast and Furious - As well as leading Scottish traditional band Keep It Up and the Simon Thoumire Orchestra, Simon, a winner of the prestigious BBC Young Tradition Award, has made numerous radio and television broadcasts (including The Shetland Sessions) and recorded several albums.

6. Jennifer Wrigley, Allan Henderson, Julia Legge, Sandy Wright - The Fashion o' The Lassies / St. Kilda Wedding - Three fabulous young Scottish fiddlers from The Orkney Islands, Fort William and Montrose respectively who are not only technically superb but also play with tremendous style and vitality. They are accompanied on guitar by brilliant Edinburgh player Sandy Wright. This track can be heard on Birlin' Fiddles.

7. Liz Doherty and Fiddlesticks - Untitled / Untitled / Cataroni - In 1991 a festival of Donegal and Shetland fiddle music was held in University College, Cork. Among the highlights of the weekend were the performances formal and informal, by the Deyell family from Shetland. This set of traditional Shetland jigs was learned from them at that time. From Racket in the Rectory.

8. Simon Thoumire Orchestra - Ceilidh For Everyone - In this excerpt from Music for a New Scottish Parliament the music reflects the feelings of euphoria after the voting is over. There is a new sense of pride all around.

9. Keep it Up - Tail Toddle / The Canongate Twitch / Jock Wilson's Ball / Captain Lachlan MacPhail of Tiree - Keep It Up are four brilliant and much respected young musicians who have come together to give a higher profile to true Scottish traditional music and to play it with sensitivity and style. Simon Thoumire (concertina), Eilidh Shaw (fiddle, vocals), Malcolm Stitt (bouzoukie, Highland pipes), Kevin Mackenzie (guitar). Keep It Up were voted one of the top three 'must see' bands in the world by Folkworld magazine.

10. Russell Hunter, Eilidh Shaw, Simon Bradley, Angus Grant - Scott Skinner's Compliments to Dr. MacDonald / Stirling Castle / Pretty Peggy / Albarada Asturiana - Four amazing fiddlers from an array of star folk bands such as The Poozies, Shooglenifty, Llan de Cubel and Keep It Up, who got together to play this set at a landmark concert recorded live at the Shoots and Roots Festival in Edinburgh. The album is entitled The Flowers of Edinburgh.

11. Jennifer Wrigley, Allan Henderson, Julia Legge, Sandy Wright - Traditional Jig / Andy de Jarlie / Isobel Blackley - This track comes from the CD Birlin Fiddles.

12. Connaillaigh - Gravel Walks to Grannie - From the Gaelic heartland of West Donegal, this fabulous band features fiddlers Paul O'Shaughnessy, Caoimhin MacAoidh, and Roisin and Damien Harrigan, all accomplished teachers and performers. They are joined on this track by Liz Doherty demonstrating the strong connection between Scots and Donegal music. A live recording of highlights from the Fiddle '97 festival including this track was released to great acclaim under the title Heat the Hoose.

13. Clare McLaughlin, Marianne Campbell, John Morran - James and Lara's Wedding / The Lassies of Stewarton / Sully's No. 6 - Clare and Marianne are the brilliant twin fiddles in the duo cMc and also make up the front line in top Scots folk band Deaf Shepherd where they play alongside guitarist/vocalist John Morran.

14. Secret Track - Banks O' Red Roses.